Memory arrays and methods of forming same

ABSTRACT

Memory arrays and methods of forming the same are provided. One example method of forming a memory array can include forming a first conductive material having a looped feature using a self-aligning multiple patterning technique, and forming a first sealing material over the looped feature. A first chop mask material is formed over the first sealing material. The looped feature and the first sealing material are removed outside the first chop mask material.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices andmethods, and more particularly to memory arrays and methods of formingthe same.

BACKGROUND

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor,integrated circuits in computers or other electronic devices. There aremany different types of memory, including random-access memory (RAM),read only memory (ROM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronousdynamic random access memory (SDRAM), resistive memory, and flashmemory, among others. Types of resistive memory include phase changememory, programmable conductor memory, and resistive random accessmemory (RRAM), among others.

Memory devices are utilized as non-volatile memory for a wide range ofelectronic applications in need of high memory densities, highreliability, and data retention without power. Non-volatile memory maybe used in, for example, personal computers, portable memory sticks,solid state drives (SSDs), digital cameras, cellular telephones,portable music players such as MP3 players, movie players, and otherelectronic devices.

Resistive memory devices include resistive memory cells that store databased on the resistance level of a storage element. The cells can beprogrammed to a desired state, e.g., corresponding to a particularresistance level, such as by applying sources of energy, such aspositive or negative voltages to the cells for a particular duration.Some resistive memory cells can be programmed to multiple states suchthat they can represent, e.g., store, more than one bit of data.

The programmed state of a resistive memory cell may be determined, e.g.,read, for example, by sensing current through the selected resistivememory cell responsive to an applied voltage. The sensed current, whichvaries based on the resistance level of the memory cell, can indicatethe programmed state of the resistive memory cell.

In various resistive memory cell architectures, such as phase changecross-point architectures, management of word line and/or bit linedecoding can be difficult and/or process intensive. For instance, asresistive memory arrays are scaled, the distance between adjacent wordlines, and the distance between adjacent bit lines, is reduced, whichcan lead to shorts therebetween, and other issues.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a memory array in accordancewith a number of embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 2-1A through 2-12C illustrate cross sectional views of variousprocess stages associated with forming a memory array in accordance witha number of embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example conductive line layout a prior art linelayout and chop mask orientation associated with an array formed inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example conductive line layout and chop maskorientation associated with an array formed in accordance with a numberof embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Memory arrays and methods of forming the same are provided. One examplemethod of forming a memory array can include forming a first conductivematerial having a looped feature using a self-aligning multiplepatterning (SAMP) technique, and forming a first sealing material overthe looped feature. A first chop mask material is formed over the firstsealing material. The looped feature and the first sealing material areremoved outside the first chop mask material.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can provide benefits such asmitigating distortion and/or movement of features such as conductivelines, e.g., word lines and/or bit lines, during and/or resulting from achop etch to remove loop ends of stacked materials, which may be formedby use of a SAMP technique, such as a self-aligning double patterning(SADP) technique, for instance. Mitigating such distortion and/ormovement can reduce the risk of shorts between adjacent word linesand/or bit lines due to a “waggling” effect, for example, among otherbenefits. A “waggling” effect refers to a distortion and/or movement ofa feature, such as a conductive line. A number of embodiments of thepresent disclosure can also provide a memory array architecture having amore compact socket region associated with coupling access lines, e.g.,word lines, and/or date/sense lines, e.g., bit lines, to decodecircuitry; as compared to previous array architectures.

In the following detailed description of the present disclosure,reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof,and in which is shown by way of illustration how one or more embodimentsof the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those of ordinary skill in the art topractice the embodiments of this disclosure, and it is to be understoodthat other embodiments may be utilized and that process, electrical,and/or structural changes may be made without departing from the scopeof the present disclosure.

The figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the firstdigit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and theremaining digits identify an element or component in the drawing.Similar elements or components between different figures may beidentified by the use of similar digits. For example, 104 may referenceelement “4” in FIG. 1, and a similar element may be referenced as 204 inFIG. 2-1B. Also, as used herein, “a number of” a particular elementand/or feature can refer to one or more of such elements and/orfeatures.

FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a memory array 100 inaccordance with a number of embodiments of the present disclosure. Thearray 100 can be a cross-point array having memory cells 102 located atthe intersections of a number of conductive lines, e.g., access lines104, which may be referred to herein as word lines, and a number ofconductive lines, e.g., data/sense lines 106, which may be referred toherein as bit lines. As illustrated, the word lines 104 are parallel toeach other and are orthogonal to the bit lines 106, which are parallelor substantially parallel to each other. However, embodiments are not solimited. The word lines 104 and/or bit lines 106 can be a metal materialsuch as tungsten, copper, titanium, aluminum, and/or other conductivematerials, for example.

Each memory cell 102 can include a storage element coupled in serieswith a respective select device, e.g., access device, and can be formedin accordance with one or more embodiments described herein. The storageelement can be a resistive storage element. The resistive storageelement may include a material 110 formed between a pair of electrodes,e.g., 108 and 112. The memory material 110 can be a resistance variablematerial such as a phase change material (PCM), for example. The selectdevice can be a two terminal device such as a diode or ovonic thresholdswitch (OTS), among other select device types. The select device caninclude a select device material 114 formed between a pair ofelectrodes, e.g., 112 and 116. The select device can be fabricatedbefore or after the storage element is fabricated.

The electrodes 108, 112, and 116 can comprise materials such as Ti, Ta,W, Al, Cr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Hf, B, C, conductive nitrides of theaforementioned materials, e.g., TiN, TaN, WN, CN, etc.), and/orcombinations thereof. Arrays of memory cells comprising a select devicein series with a phase change material may be referred to as phasechange material and switch (PCMS) arrays.

The resistive storage elements of cells 102 can include a resistancevariable material 110, e.g., a phase change material. The phase changematerial can be a chalcogenide material, e.g., Ge—Sb—Te (GST), such asGe₈Sb₅Te₈, Ge₄Sb₄Te₇, Ge₂Sb₂Te₅, Ge₁Sb₂Te₄, Ge₁Sb₄Te₇, etc., among otherphase change materials. The hyphenated chemical composition notation, asused herein, indicates the elements included in a particular mixture orcompound, and is intended to represent all stoichiometries involving theindicated elements. Other phase change materials can include Ge—Te,In—Se, Sb—Te, Ga—Sb, As—Te, Al—Te, Ge—Sb—Te, Te—Ge—As, In—Sb—Te,Te—Sn—Se, Ge—Se—Ga, Bi—Se—Sb, Ga—Se—Te, Sn—Sb—Te, In—Sb—Ge, Te—Ge—Sb—S,Te—Ge—Sn—O, Te—Ge—Sn—Au, Pd—Te—Ge—Sn, In—Se—Ti—Co, Ge—Sb—Te—Pd,Ge—Sb—Te—Co, Sb—Te—Bi—Se, Ge—Sb—Se—Te, Ge—Sn—Sb—Te, Ge—Te—Sn—Ni,Ge—Te—Sn—Pd, and Ge—Te—Sn—Pt, for example.

Embodiments are not limited to storage elements comprising phase changematerials. For instance, the storage elements can comprise one or morevariable resistance materials such as binary metal oxides, colossalmagnetoresistive materials, and/or various polymer-based resistivevariable materials, among others.

In a number of embodiments, the select devices corresponding to cells102 can be ovonic threshold switches (OTSs) comprising a chalcogenidematerial 114 faulted between electrodes 112 and 116. In suchembodiments, the chalcogenide material 114 of the select device may notactively change phase, e.g., between amorphous and crystalline, such asa chalcogenide material 110 of the resistive storage element. However,the chalcogenide 114 of the select device can change between an “on” and“off” state depending on the voltage potential applied across the phasechange memory cell 102. The state of the OTS can change when a currentthrough the OTS exceeds a threshold current or a voltage across the OTSexceeds a threshold voltage. Once the threshold current or voltage isreached, the on state is triggered and the OTS can be in a conductivestate. If the current or voltage potential drops below a thresholdvalue, the OTS can return to a non-conductive state.

In a number of embodiments, the resistive storage element material 110can comprise one or more of the same material(s) as the select devicematerial 114. However, embodiments are not so limited. For example, theresistive storage element material 110 and the select device material114 can comprise different materials.

FIGS. 2-1A through 2-12C illustrate cross sectional views of variousprocess stages associated with forming a memory array in accordance witha number of embodiments of the present disclosure. In each of the setsof figures that follow, e.g., 2-1, 2-2, etc., each figure is a crosssection in a unique one of the three dimensions. Figure B of each set iscross-sectional view taken along the cut line B-B shown in thecorresponding Figures A and C. Figure A of each set is cross-sectionalview taken along cut line A-A shown in the corresponding Figures B andC. Figure C of each set is cross-sectional view taken along cut line C-Cshown in the corresponding Figures A and B. For example, Figure A ofeach set can be a cross-sectional top view of an array structure at aparticular point of forming, Figure B of each set can be across-sectional side view of an array structure at the particular pointof forming shown in the corresponding Figures A and C, and Figure C ofeach set can be a cross-sectional end view of an array structure at theparticular point of forming shown in the corresponding Figures A and B.

Multiple patterning is a class of technologies for manufacturingintegrated circuits (ICs), developed for photolithography to enhance thefeature density. The simplest case of multiple patterning is doublepatterning, where a conventional lithography process is enhanced toproduce double the expected number of features. While the followingdescription refers to double patterning technique as an example ofmultiple patterning techniques, embodiments of the present disclosureare not limited to the double patterning technique, and can beimplemented using other types of multiple patterning techniques. Doublepatterning lithography (DPL) is the enabling technology for printingsub-32 nm nodes. Self-aligning multiple patterning (SAMP), such asself-aligning double patterning (SADP, first patterns and forms denselines, and subsequently trims away the portions of those lines, such asan end portion, not on the design. Portions of the dense lines can betrimmed away using a cut mask, for example.

FIG. 2-1A shows a cross-sectional view of an array structure 201 havingSADP patterns, used for forming conductive lines, e.g., word lines,formed over a masking material 218. Core material 220 is formed with aregular pitch of four times the feature size, i.e., 4F, for example, bythe following example process. First of all the core material 220 isdeposited overall and then patterned with a relaxed mask to get bothwidth and spacing at double the minimum feature size, i.e., 2F. Thisimplies a regular pitch, e.g., of the core material 220, with total sizeof 4F. Then, keeping the initial 4F pitch, a trimming process cansqueeze the width of the core material 220 to a smaller size, e.g.,about F, with an increased of spacing, e.g., 3F, therebetween. Thespacer material 222 is formed around the core material 220. As is shown,the spacer material 222 forms a closed-end, e.g., “U,” shape, around theends of the core material 220 atop a masking material 218. Thisclosed-end shape is referred to herein as a looped feature, e.g., loop221.

The spacer material 222 is formed on the sidewall(s) of thepre-patterned features defined by the core material 220. A spacer can beformed, for example, by deposition or reaction of the film on theprevious pattern of the core material 220, followed removal, such as byetching, of the core material 220, leaving only the spacer material 222on the sidewalls. By removing the original patterned feature of corematerial 220, only the spacer material 222 is left. However, since thereare two features, e.g., lines, of spacer material 222 for every featureof core material 220, the spacer material 222 line density is doublethat of the core material 220 line density so that the distance betweenspacer material 222 lines is the feature size, i.e., 1F, or less. Aspreviously mentioned, embodiments of the present disclosure are notlimited to double patterning techniques, and the spacer material 222 canbe used in implementing other multiple patterning techniques to furtherincrease the line density. The spacer technique is applicable fordefining various features such as conductive lines, e.g., word linesand/or bit lines, at half the original lithographic pitch, for example.

One consideration with respect to the above-described spacer material222 approach is whether the material(s) of the feature below the spacermaterial 222, e.g., feature stack such as a word line stack, will stayin place after the material(s) around the feature are removed,particularly during removal of a portion of the feature, such as by achop etch. In some instances, the chop etch can distort and/or move thefeature due to a “waggling” effect, for example.

FIG. 2-1B shows the material formed between the masking material 218 andthe substrate 203, which can include circuitry (not shown), e.g., decodecircuitry formed therein. The substrate 203 can be a silicon substratecomprising a number of doped and/or undoped semiconductor materials, forinstance. FIG. 2-1B and 2-1C show a first conductive material 204 formedover the substrate 203. The conductive material 204 can be used to formconductive lines, e.g., word lines and/or bit lines, of array structure201 and can comprise a metal such as tungsten, for example. Although notshown in FIGS. 2-1A-2-12C, a dielectric material such as a nitridematerial and/or oxide material can be formed on substrate 203, e.g.,between conductive material 204 and substrate 203. A electrode material208 can be formed over the conductive material 204. The electrodematerial 208 can comprise carbon, for example, and can serve as a bottomelectrode for a select device or resistive storage element for memorycells of array structure 201.

A storage element material 210, such as a phase change material (PCM)can be formed over the electrode material 208, and an electrode material212 can be formed over the storage element material 210. The electrodematerial 212 can serve as a middle electrode between the storage elementmaterial 210 and a select device material 214, and can comprise a sameor different electrode material than electrode material 208. Forexample, the electrode material 212 can comprise carbon. The selectdevice material 214 can comprise, for instance, an OTS material and canbe formed over the electrode material 212. An electrode material 216 canbe formed over the select device material 214 and can serve as a topelectrode for a select device or resistive storage element for memorycells of array structure 201.

The electrode material 216 can comprise a same or different electrodematerial than the electrode material 208 and/or the electrode material212. For example, the electrode material 216 can comprise carbon. Inthis example, the select device material 214 is formed between electrodematerials 212 and 216 and the resistive storage element material 210 isformed between electrode materials 208 and 212. However, embodiments arenot so limited. For instance, in a number of embodiments, select devicematerial 216 can be formed between electrode materials 208 and 212, andresistive storage element material 210 can be formed between electrodematerials 212 and 216. The masking material 218 can be formed over theelectrode material 216. The masking material 218 can be a hard mask,such as silicon nitride (SiN), for example.

As shown in FIGS. 2-1B and 2-1C, the core material 220 and spacermaterial 222 used to pattern features, such as conductive lines, e.g.,word lines, associated with array structure 201 can be formed over amaterial stack. In embodiments in which the materials 220 and 222 areused to pattern word lines of array structure 201, the material stackcan be referred to as a “word line stack.” In this example, the wordline stack comprises conductive material 204, electrode material 208,storage element material 210, electrode material 212, select devicematerial 214, electrode material 216, and masking material 218.

The materials described herein may be formed by various techniquesincluding, but not limited to, spin coating, blanket coating, chemicalvapor deposition (CVD) such as low pressure CVD or plasma enhanced CVD,plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atomic layerdeposition (ALD), plasma enhanced ALD, physical vapor deposition (PVD),thermal decomposition, and/or thermal growth, among others.Alternatively, materials may be grown in situ. While the materialsdescribed and illustrated herein may be formed as layers, the materialsare not limited thereto and may be formed in other three-dimensionalconfigurations.

FIG. 2-2A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-1A/B/C. FIG. 2-2A illustratesdefinition of conductive lines, e.g., word lines 204, by etching thematerial stack shown in FIGS. 2-1A/B/C. That is, those portions of theconductive material 204, the electrode material 208, the storage elementmaterial 210, the electrode material 212, the select device material214, the electrode material 216, and the masking material 218 notlocated beneath spacer material 222 have been removed, e.g., by an etchprocess, such that substrate 203 is exposed. FIGS. 2-2B and 2-2C showthe core material 220, and the spacer material 222 used to define wordlines, 204 having also been removed, leaving the separate word lines204.

According to previous approaches, an additional mask, i.e., a chop mask,is used to pattern the loops 221 for chopping in order to formindividual word lines. That is, the “U” shaped portion of the word linestack can be removed to disconnect the corresponding two word lines byapplication of a chop mask and additional material removal process,e.g., etch. According to previous approaches, the chop mask and chopetch was implemented to cut the loops 221 before etching out theword-line stack. However, the process of the previous approach chop etchcan cause the remaining lines to distort and/or move. Such distortionsand/or movement becomes more problematic as feature size decreases, andcan result in unwanted shorts between the remaining lines.

According a number of embodiments of the present disclosure, mitigationof distortion and/or movement of features can be accomplished, in part,by stabilizing features of the array structure 201 being chopped to makethem more rigid, such as by sealing the features. That is, features,e.g., loops 221, are better anchored within the array structure 201, andgaps between features, e.g., loops 221, are filled-in with supportingmaterials in contrast to previous SADP approaches where features, e.g.,loops 221, are etched at the spacer level thereby exposing the features,e.g., loops 221, to the possibility of a “waggling” effect, e.g.,movement, during the chop etch.

With better precision of feature definition and location, and themitigation of the “waggling” effect during chopping, more compactlayouts can be formed. For example, there can be less risk of shortingbetween features, e.g., conductive lines, where the location andconfiguration of the features, e.g., conductive lines, is more preciselycontrolled by the mitigation of distortion and/or movement of thefeatures, e.g., conductive lines. Furthermore, sockets previously usedin cross-point arrays can be reduced and/or eliminated where locationsof conductive lines can be more accurately aligned with underlying viasaccording to methods of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2-3A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-2A/B/C. According to variousembodiments of the present disclosure, and in contrast to previousapproaches, the word lines 204 can be sealed before cutting the loops221, e.g., by a chop etch. For example, a sealing material 224 can beformed over the array structure shown in FIGS. 2-2A/B/C. The sealingmaterial 224 can be conformally formed over the array structure, forexample, by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. FIGS. 2-3A and2-3C show that the sealing material 224 can also be formed over exposedportions of the substrate 203 and mask material 218.

FIG. 2-3B shows that the sealing material 224 can be formed so as tosubstantially fill the areas between the word lines 204. That is, theelevation of the sealing material 224 between the word lines 204 is thesame as the elevation of the sealing material 224 on the mask material218. While FIG. 2-3B shows that the sealing material 224 can be formedso as to substantially fill the areas between the word lines 204,embodiments of the present disclosure are not so limited. That is, thesealing material 224 can be formed such that it partially fills, ratherthan completely and/or substantially fill, the areas between adjacentconductive lines, e.g., word lines and/or bit lines. In this manner,partially filling the areas between adjacent conductive lines cannevertheless strengthen the particular conductive line rigidity andthereby reduce waggling.

FIGS. 2-4A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-3A/B/C. FIGS. 2-4A/B/C show a chopmask material 226 having been formed over a portion of the sealingmaterial 224. The chop mask material 226 can be formed over portions ofthe array structure 201 that are not intended to be removed via a chopetch. As such, the chop mask material 226 is not formed, or is formedand subsequently removed, over the regions of the structure 201 thatinclude ends of the loops 221 (shown in FIG. 2-1A), e.g., as indicatedby the exposed portions of sealing material 224 in FIGS. 2-4A and 2-4C.

After the chop mask material 226 is formed over the sealing material 224(except in the chop region 228), the chop mask material 226 can beappropriately treated, e.g., hardened, so as to form a chop mask.Alternatively, a spin-on dielectric (SOD) material 223, e.g., an oxidematerial, can be formed over the chop region 228 and/or the chop maskmaterial 226 so as to fill gaps and improve planarity of the resultingarray structure 201. The SOD oxide material 223 can be planarized to aelevation that reveals again the chop mask material 226, such that thechop region 228 is filled with the SOD oxide material 223 to a sameelevation as the chop mask material 226 so as to improve the quality ofa subsequent removal process, e.g., chop etch, that includes removingthe ends of the loops 221.

FIGS. 2-5A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-4A/B/C. FIGS. 2-5A/B/C show thearray structure 201 after the removal process, e.g., chop etch, thatincludes removing the loops 221, and removal of the chop mask material226 so as to leave individual word lines 204, e.g., parallel word lineswithout the looped ends. That is, materials in an area of the loops 221have been cut away to form individual parallel word lines 204. The chopmask material 226 is also removed following the chop etch, such that thesealing material 224 is exposed.

FIGS. 2-6A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-5A/B/C. FIGS. 2-6A/B/C show asealing material 225 formed over the array structure 201, including overthe sealing material 224 and the substrate 203 shown in FIGS. 2-5A/B/C.The sealing material 225 can be conformally formed over the arraystructure 201 such as by ALD, for example. In this manner, the sealingmaterial 225 can protect the ends of the word lines 204 previously cutby the chop etch.

FIGS. 2-6A/B/C also show a sealing material 227 formed over the sealingmaterial 225. The sealing material 227 can be, for example, a SOD oxidematerial used to fill gaps and improve planarity of the resulting arraystructure 201. That is, the SOD oxide material can be planarized, e.g.,by a chemical-mechanical polishing/planarization (CMP) process, to auniform elevation suitable for further processing of the array structure201 in completing a cross-point array, for instance.

FIGS. 2-7A/B/C through FIGS. 2-12A/B/C describe formation of the bitlines subsequent to formation of the word lines 204 as described above.FIGS. 2-7A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-6A/B/C. FIGS. 2-7A/B/C show thearray structure 201 after a planarization process, such as by CMP. Theplanarization process can remove portions of the sealing materials 225,227, and 224, as well as masking material 218. The planarization processcan stop on the electrode material 216, for instance.

FIGS. 2-8A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-7A/B/C. FIGS. 2-8A/B/C show aconductive material 206, e.g., from which the bit lines will be formed,formed over the planarized array structure 201 shown in FIGS. 2-7A/B/C.The conductive material 206 can be tungsten, for example. FIGS. 2-8A/B/Cfurther show a masking material 232 formed over the conductive material206. Masking material 232 can be silicon nitride, for example.

Over the masking material 232, the bit line layout can be defined by aSADP technique, for example, in a similar manner as was previouslydescribed for the word line layout. However, the bit line layout can beoriented perpendicular to the word lines. The bit line layout is definedby a core material 236 being formed over the masking material 232 andspacer material 234 being formed around the core material 236. As isshown, the spacer material 234 forms a closed-end, e.g., “U,” shape,around the ends of the core material 236 atop the masking material 232.Again, this closed-end shape is referred to herein as a looped feature,e.g., loop 231.

To complete formation of individual bit lines, the loops 231 will be cutoff, along with the conductive material 206 beneath. This can beaccomplished in a manner similar to that previously described for theword line formation.

FIGS. 2-9A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-8A/B/C. FIGS. 2-9A/B/C show theresults of a material removal process, e.g., bit line etch, to form theself-aligned bit lines 206. As shown, the material removal process canstop at the elevation of the word lines 204, which results in pillarsincluding the electrode material 208, the storage element material 210,the electrode material 212, the select device material 214, and theelectrode material 216 at intersection of lines of the word lines 204and loops 231 of the conductive material 206. While FIGS. 2-9A/B/C showthe material removal process removing all of the masking material 232and stopping at the elevation of the word lines 204, embodiments of thepresent disclosure are not so limited and the material removal processcan be stopped before reaching the word lines 204 so that some of themasking material 232 can be left on top of the word lines 204.

FIGS. 2-10A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-9A/B/C. According to variousembodiments of the present disclosure, and in contrast to previousapproaches, the bit line stacks can be sealed before cutting the loops231, e.g., prior to a chop etch. For example, a sealing material 238 canbe formed over the structure in FIGS. 2-9A/B/C. The sealing material 238can be conformally formed over the structure by an ALD process, forinstance. FIGS. 2-10A and 2-10C show that the sealing material 238 canbe formed over the word lines 204, the sealing material 225, and thesealing material 227. The sealing material 238 can be formed so as tosubstantially fill the areas between the pillars. That is, the elevationof the sealing material 238 between the pillars can be the same as theelevation of the sealing material 238 on the bit lines 206.

FIGS. 2-11A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-10A/B/C. FIGS. 2-11A/B/C show achop mask material 240 formed over a portion of the sealing material238. The chop mask material 240 can be formed over portions of the arraystructure 201 that are not intended to be removed via a chop etch. Assuch, the chop mask material 240 is not formed, or is formed andsubsequently removed, over the regions of the structure 201 that includethe loops 231 (shown in FIG. 2-8A), e.g., as indicated by the exposedportions of sealing material 238 in FIGS. 2-11A and 2-11B.

After the chop mask material 240 is formed over the sealing material 238(except in the chop region 239), the chop mask material 240 can beappropriately treated, e.g., hardened, to form a chop mask.Alternatively, a SOD oxide material (not shown in figures) can be formedover the chop region 239 and/or the chop mask material 240 so as to fillgaps and improve planarity of the resulting array structure 201. The SODoxide material (not shown in figures) can be planarized to a elevationthat reveals again the chop mask material 240, such that the chop region239 can be filled with the SOD oxide material (not shown in figures) toa same elevation as the chop mask material 240 so as to improve thequality of a subsequent removal process, e.g., chop etch, that includesremoving the loops 231 (shown in FIG. 2-8A).

FIGS. 2-12A/B/C show the array structure 201 after additional processingwith respect to that shown in FIGS. 2-11A/B/C. FIGS. 2-12A/B/C show thearray structure 201 after the removal process, e.g., chop etch, thatincludes removing the loops 231 (shown in FIG. 2-8A), and removal of thechop mask material 240 so as to leave individual bit lines 206 that nolonger have loops 231 (shown in FIG. 2-8A). That is, the loops 231(shown in FIG. 2-8A) have been cut away to form individual parallel bitlines 206.

FIGS. 2-12A/B/C also show a sealing material 242 formed over the arraystructure 201, including over the sealing material 238 and the materialsleft exposed by the chop etch of the bit line stack. The sealingmaterial 242 can be conformally formed, such as by ALD, for example, soas to protect the ends of the bit lines 206 previously cut by the chopetch. Further processing can be performed to complete the formation of across-point array. For instance, connections, e.g., by conductive plugs,of conductive lines, e.g., word lines and/or bit lines, to decodecircuitry formed in the substrate 203.

As one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate, a memory array canbe coupled to various circuitry which is not shown in the precedingfigures for sake of clarity. Such circuitry can include decodecircuitry, control circuitry, and write circuitry, among other circuitryassociated with operating a memory array such as array 100 shown inFIG. 1. Circuitry can refer to conductive material, e.g., metal, anddevices, among other structures. Embodiments of the present disclosureare not limited to a particular type of array or array architecture.

Some advantages of the methods described with respect to FIG. 2-1A to2-12C include mitigating distortion and/or movement of features such asconductive lines, e.g., word lines, bit lines, during a chop etch toloops, e.g., 221, 231, that may be formed by use of a SADP technique.Mitigation of distortion and/or movement of features can beaccomplished, in part, by sealing features and thereby making thefeatures more rigid prior to chopping away some portion thereof, e.g.,by a chop etch. That is, features can be anchored within the arraystructure, and gaps between features can be filled with supportingmaterials, prior to a chop etch, in contrast to previous SADPapproaches.

As fill be further appreciated, a high density memory array can beobtained using a cross-point architecture. SADP techniques can enable4F² cell density, where F is the technology feature size, e.g., spacingbetween word and/or bit lines. Even greater density can be obtained bystacking to achieve a memory cell density of 4F²/n, where n is thequantity of stacked array instances. For example, a multi-layer, e.g., 3dimensional, cross-point memory array can be formed by stacking twoarrays “back-to-back” between two word line metal materials, with a bitline metal material located between the stacked arrays, the bit linesbeing shared by the two arrays. Methods of the present disclosure can beapplied to additional stacked array instances.

FIG. 3 illustrates an example conductive line layout and chop maskorientation associated with an array formed in accordance with a numberof embodiments of the present disclosure. Forming certain features usingSADP for PCMS cross-point array architectures includes management ofword line and bit line decoding that involves two peculiar issues whencompared to NAND memory arrays. First, there is not any “spare space” tobe gained from the equivalent of source selection regions, as in NANDcontrol gates decoding. Second, the definition of word lines and bitlines is subtractive (and not damascene, as for NAND tungsten bitlines), in order to integrate the array with the minimum number ofmasks.

FIG. 3 shows a layout of conductive lines 348 of an array region 350interface with one or more adjacent socket regions 352. A socket region352 is an area within which conductive lines, e.g., word lines and/orbit lines, interface with other elevations of an array structure.Interconnections can be made by conductive plugs formed in vias betweenvarious elevations, for instance. A socket region 352 can also provideadditional area on a particular elevation in which to allow more space,e.g., as compared to within the array region 350, between conductivelines and/or vias.

In previous approaches, such additional spacing between conductive lines348 allow room for the conductive lines 348 room to move and/or allowroom for distortions in the conductive lines 348, during formation ofthe array structure, such as during a chop etch as the loops were beingcut off, for example. Therefore, a chop etch corresponding to the chopregions 354 (on one side of the array region 350) and 355 (on anopposite side of the array region 350) can leave the conductive lines348 sufficiently spaced apart to avoid shorting therebetween. However,where a chop etch can be accomplished with less movement and/ordistortion of the conductive line 348, such as by the methods of thepresent disclosure, socket regions can be designed to have smaller size.

The conductive lines 348 may initially be arranged having a loop at eachend of adjacent conductive lines 348. That is, the conductive lines 348can have bends 353 therein outside the array region 350, e.g., in thesocket region 352. The conductive lines 348 may be arranged such thatinnermost loops 358 on one side of the array region 350, e.g., in afirst socket region, correspond to the outermost loops 360 on anopposite side of the array region 350, e.g., in a second socket region.The conductive lines 348 within the socket regions 352 can be arrangedto have more space therebetween, as compared to the array region 350.The ends of the conductive lines 348, after the loops are removed by thechop etch, also interface with vias 356 in order to connect toconductive features, e.g., metal lines, at other elevations. That is,the conductive lines 348 align with the vias 356 in the socket region352 after the chop etch.

Conductive lines 348 that are moved or distorted as a result of a chopetch can result in defects due to problems depositing dielectricmaterials between moved and/or distorted conductive lines. Movementand/or distortion of conductive lines by a chop etch can change thespacing therebetween. Where such spacing is increased slightly,conformal, e.g., ALD, dielectric materials are formed over the featuresmay not completely fill larger gaps. However, a slightly larger gap mayalso be too small to be filled with less-conformal dielectrics, whichcan cause a defect, e.g., seam, to form in the dielectric and lead tomemory array failures.

FIG. 4 illustrates an example conductive line layout and chop maskorientation associated with an array formed in accordance with a numberof embodiments of the present disclosure. With increased precision offeature definition and location as compared to previous approaches, morecompact layouts can be formed. That is, where the location andconfiguration of various features, e.g., conductive lines, can be moreprecisely controlled by the methods of the present disclosure withrespect to sealing features before chop etching, the risk of conductivelines shorting together is reduced. Therefore, the area dedicated tosocket regions associated with some cross-point array formationprocesses can be reduced and/or eliminated since location andconfiguration of conductive lines can be more accurately aligned withone another and underlying vias using the methods of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 4 shows conductive lines 464 formed having loops just outside of anarray region 462. However, the conductive line layout of FIG. 4 has areduced socket region as compared to that shown in FIG. 3, for instance.According to the methods of the present disclosure for performing a chopetch, chop regions 466 can be established, for example, by forming chopmasking material over the conductive lines 464 outside of the chopregion 466 and subsequently performing a chop etch of material(s) withinthe chop region 466. Because distortion and/or movement of theconductive lines 464 can be mitigated during the chop etch as comparedto previous approaches, vias 468 can be located in closer proximity tothe array region and in an area where the conductive lines 464 aredensely spaced.

According to some embodiments of the present disclosure, the conductivelines 464 can be cut such that the conductive lines 464 respectivelyextend beyond the array region 462 by substantially a same length. Forexample, the chop masking material can be located the chop etch cuts allword lines (or bit lines) at a same length. That is, all word lines canbe cut to extend a same first length outside the array region 462,and/or all bit lines can be cut to extend a same second length outsidethe array region 462. The first length can be the same or different thanthe second length.

According to one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a numberof conductive plugs can be uniquely connected to the conductive lines464, the number of conductive plugs being formed in the vias 468, thevias 468 being confined to one linear row per side of the array region,with the row being arranged parallel to side of the of the array region.For example, conductive plugs can be formed in vias connected torespective alternate ones of the conducting lines 464 outside the arrayregion. Reducing and/or eliminating the size of the socket region(s) inthis manner can provide benefits such as reducing the memory arrayfootprint, among other benefits.

Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and describedherein, those of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that anarrangement calculated to achieve the same results can be substitutedfor the specific embodiments shown. This disclosure is intended to coveradaptations or variations of various embodiments of the presentdisclosure. It is to be understood that the above description has beenmade in an illustrative fashion, and not a restrictive one. Combinationof the above embodiments, and other embodiments not specificallydescribed herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art uponreviewing the above description. The scope of the various embodiments ofthe present disclosure includes other applications in which the abovestructures and methods are used. Therefore, the scope of variousembodiments of the present disclosure should be determined withreference to the appended claims, along with the full range ofequivalents to which such claims are entitled.

In the foregoing Detailed Description, various features are groupedtogether in a single embodiment for the purpose of streamlining thedisclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the disclosed embodiments of the presentdisclosure have to use more features than are expressly recited in eachclaim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, inventive subject matterlies in less than all features of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus,the following claims are hereby incorporated into the DetailedDescription, with each claim standing on its own as a separateembodiment.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of forming a memory array, comprising: forming a first conductive material having a first looped feature using a self-aligning multiple patterning (SAMP) technique; conformally forming a first sealing material over the first looped feature; forming a spin-on dielectric (SOD) material over the first sealing material before forming a first chop mask material; forming the first chop mask material over the first sealing material; and removing the first looped feature and the first sealing material outside the first chop mask material.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the SAMP technique is a self-aligning double patterning (SADP) technique.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein conformally forming the first sealing material over the first looped feature includes forming the first sealing material over the first looped feature by atomic layer deposition.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein conformally forming the first sealing material over the first looped feature includes filling gaps between first looped features to an elevation substantially the same as the first sealing material directly above the first looped feature.
 5. The method of claim 3, wherein forming the first chop mask material over the first sealing material includes forming the first chop mask material over the SOD.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein forming the spin-on dielectric over the first sealing material includes planarizing the SOD and a top surface of the first sealing material to a same elevation.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a second conductive material having a second looped feature using a SAMP technique; forming a second sealing material over the second looped feature; forming a second chop mask material over the second sealing material so as to exclude at least the second looped feature; and removing materials comprising the second looped feature and the second sealing material outside the second chop mask, wherein the memory array is a cross-point memory array.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein cross-point memory array is a phase change material and switch (PCMS) cross-point array.
 9. A phase change material and switch (PCMS) cross-point array produced in accordance with the process of claim
 1. 10. A method of forming a memory array, comprising: forming a number of conductive lines using a self-aligning multiple patterning (SAMP) technique, the conductive lines including a loop between pairs of conductive lines outside of an array region; conformally forming a sealing material over the conductive lines and loop; forming a spin-on dielectric (SOD) material over the first sealing material before forming a chop mask material; forming the chop mask material over the sealing material that excludes an area of the loop outside the array region; and removing materials comprising the loops and the sealing material outside the chop mask material.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the SAMP technique is a self-aligning double patterning (SADP) technique.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the spacing between the conductive lines outside the array region is the same as the spacing between the conductive lines within the array region.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming conductive plugs in vias connected to respective alternate ones of the conducting lines outside the array region.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein removing materials comprising the loops includes removing all portions of the loops that are not parallel to the conductive lines.
 15. A memory array produced in accordance with the process of claim
 10. 